Loose leaf ring binder elements



May 31, 1955 F. s. SCHADE 2,709,439

LOOSE LEAF RING BINDER ELEMENTS Filed April 1, 1953 IIZtlIIl FIG.2' \4 ni 7 6 I L V J MB 5 l7 I- \W \H FIC5.3

6 ai ll lZ D 3 9 9 INVENTOR FRANK STAN LEY SCHADE AT TO R NEYS 2,769,439LOOSE LEAF RiNG BINDER ELEMENTS Application April 1, 1953, Serial No.346,240 1 (Ilaim. (Ci. 129-24) This invention relates to loose leaf ringbinding mechanisms and more particularly to an element for use with aseries of like elements to provide with a simple cover member aninexpensive type of semi-permanent binder.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, easily handledand attractive ring binder assembly comparable in cost to the commonpamphlet, folder, or booklet types of loose leaf bound structures. Inmaking up prior folders of the type here concerned with a small stack ofloose leaf pages having perforations punched in the binding marginthereof and enclosed between relatively thin paper or paper compositioncovers the ordinary types of paper fasteners are usually employed. Amongthese are the common prong types of paper fastener which hold the pagesbetween a fastener head and the spreading prong ends, and the well knownAcco fastener types provided with spaced prongs and having a prong lockcompressor plate to secure the pages together. Such folders are commonlyused for a great variety of business and other purposes, such asreference or analysis reports, personalized insurance solicitation orother record keeping material of a semi-permanent nature. Generally, thematerial is bound together so that separate pages may be removed orinserted as circumstances may arise. With the ordinary types of paperfasteners the removal or insertion of pages is relatively cumbersome,not only because of the nature of the fastener itself, but also becausethe binding portions of the covers are most often interfolded so as toconceal the fasteners at the binding margin thereof.

Accordingly an object of this invention is to obtain the advantages ofthe ring binder type of fastener in an inexpensive folder of thisnature. The many advantages of the invention will be best understoodfrom the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof asdisclosed by the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan viewof a cover member with side and back portions spread out and the newbinder ring ele ments secured to the inside wall of one of the sidepanels;

Fig. 2 is a top plan on an enlarged scale of one of the ring elements;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the element;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the outer end of the element;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the inner end thereof; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of the element mounted on the covermember with the latter shown in section.

In Fig. l a cover member is designated by the numeral 1 with side panelsat 2 and a back portion at 3 separated from the side panels by foldlines in the material thereof as indicated. The cover 1 may be of paperor fabric composition or other suitable material and is preferably of aflexible character. It is also preferably of relatively thin cover stocksuitable for pamphlet folder purposes and is generally somewhat stifferthan the loose leaf pages designed for use therewith.

The new ring binder elements are indicated at 4, a plurality of theelements, as the three shown by Fig. 1, being attached in spacedrelation to a cover side panel 2 adjaatet cent the fold line between thepanel and back portion 3. As indicated by Fig. 6, the elements are mostconveniently positioned at the inner marginal portion of a side panel toenable the back portion to lie adjacent one end of the elements and theother side panel to overlie the arched ring member and the loose leafpages at 5 threaded on the ring members.

The elements 4 comprise a plate support 6 and an arched ring wireelement 7 pivotally hinged at its inner end to one end of the plate andat its outer end provided with a tip extending as at 8 for releasableengagement at the other end of the plate in ring closed position. Thearched rings are disengaged by the forceable upward lifting of the tip 8to free the outer end of the arched ring and permit the mounting ofloose leaf pages thereon. From Figs. 1 and 6 it will be seen that thetips 8 of the rings may be most conveniently flipped upwardly by the tipof a users fingers and with the arched tops of the ring swung back tolie in open condition against the back portion 3 of the cover, the ringtips 8 will lie in aligned position for easily removing or inserting theloose leaf pages on the ring wires. The wires are then snapped back intothe closed position shown by finger or thumb pressure on the top of thearch to engage the tips 8 as will be described. Thus, a pack of severalloose leaf pages desired for binding between covers may be readily andeasily manipulated into position for assembly.

The element is attached to the body of the cover material as best shownby Fig. 6. The plate 6 is preferably a rectangular fiat metal platehaving a pair of prongs 9 struck from the body of the plate centrally ateach side thereof as at ltl (Fig. 2). At the base of each prong andextending towards the adjacent end of the plate is a por tion 11 raisedabove the surface of the plate. The prongs 9 are adapted to pierce thematerial of the cover panel 2 and be bent upwardly against the recessprovided at the underside of the portions 11 with the adjacent materialof the cover pinched therebetween. Thus the prongs are recessed in theouter surface of the cover and will not protrude to scratch a desk ortable surface on which the binder may be placed and used.

The inner end of the arched ring wire 7 is formed with an angled hingepintle portion 12 turned substantially at right angles to the plane ofthe arched ring, the portion 12. being received in a sleeve at 13 of anupwardly and reversely rolled extension at one side of the plate end.The sleeved hinge portion 13 is spaced at said end from an upwardlyarched extension 14 at the opposite side of the plate end. The adjacentside edges of the two extensions form a recess as at 15 (Fig. 2) for thepivotal movement of the inner end portion of the wire arch in theopening and closing movements thereof. The inner side edge of extension14 holds the pintle 12 positioned against removal from the sleeve (seeFig. 5

Preferably as shown by Figs. 4 and 5 the arched ring 7 is slightlyangled from the recess at 15 upwardly and arcuately towards thediagonally opposite side extension at 16 at the opposite end of theplate 6 and so as to tension the outer free end portion of the wire in adirection towards the angled path at the inner end of a locking slot 17formed between the extension at 16 and an extension 13 at the other sideof said plate end. Spaced extensions 16 and 18 are upwardly turned atsaid end of the plate as at right angles thereto to form a slottedlocking plate. The slot 17 (Fig. 4) at its top section is angled in thedirection of the end extension 18 opposite the sleeve 13 and in thelower section reversely angled toward the end extension 16, that is, inthe direction of the forces of tension inherent in the arched wire 7.

Thus, as seen by the enlarged view of Fig. 4, the position of tip 8 inentering the slot 17 at the top thereof is one in which the wire isunder a slight tension to resist the downward angled thrust in said topslot section and under a greater tension at the intersection of the topand bottom angled sections. The tip is shown by dotted line in each ofthese positions and it will be noted that the tip is thus positivelysnapped into the slot finding its wayto the bottom thereof whendownwardly pushed past the intersection of the angled sections. Onremoval of the tip the passage thereof out of the slot is assisted bythe tension of the Wire when the tip is upwardly directed past saidintersection. A positive snap lock movement thus occurs in latching orunlatching the arched ring for closed or open condition.

It is to be noted that Figs. 2 to 6 are views of an actual embodimentenlarged to approximately double size for purposes of clarity. Figs. 1and 6 is preferably designed to accommodate a relatively small stack ofloose leaf pages of approximately standard letter size. The height ofthe arched ring above the plate in ring closed position may, if desired,be only high enough to accommodate the thickness of a particular stackof pages which it is designed to carry.

It should be noted also that the device as disclosed herein has afurther specific advantage and convenience in the simplicity of itsconstruction, the one piece plate support being formed at its inner endwith a closed eye portion as the rolled sleeve extension 13 and spacedtherefrom at said end with an open eye as the upwardly arched extension14. As set forth above, the extension 1 3 provides an arched abutment toretain the pintle 12 Within its bearing sleeve. The undersurface of thearched extension 14 is substantially in axial alignment with the sleeve13. In assembling the two parts together it will be seen (see Figs. 3and 5) that the pintle 12 may be readily inserted into the sleeve 13 byinitially placing the pintle under the arch of the ex- (I tension 14with the inner ring portion held downwardly projecting beyond the freeedge of the extension 14, and then sliding the pintle laterally andaxially into the sleeve 13. When the. pintle is fully encased in thesleeve the inner portion of the arched ring is in registration with therecess 15 and may be pivotally swung upwardly and forwardly to enter therecess for the assembled position ready for attachment to a covermember. In attaching the device to a cover I have found in practice thatprongs 9 are convenient to use. Other suitable means as rivets oreyelets may also be used.

In use the binder assembly as in What is claimed is:

A loose leaf ring binder element adapted for attachment with likeelements to a cover member for mounting loose leaf sheets on said covermember, said element comprising a support and an arched ring memberpivotally mounted at its inner end to one end of the support with theother end of said ring member adapted for releasable engagcment with theother end of said support, said support being in the form of a platewith the end for pivotally carrying said ring provided with spacedupwardly raised extensions, the recess between said extensions beingcentrally of said plate end with one or" said extensions being rolledback on said plate and forming a sleeve for pivotally mounting said ringmember, said arched ring member having at its inner end a hinge pintlcportion extending laterally of the plane of said arched ring andsubstantially perpendicular thereto with said lateral pintie portionbeing received in the axial opening of said sleeved extension of theplate, said arched ring extending upwardly from said plate end from therecess between said extensions and adapted to swing its outer end towardand away from the opposite end of the plate, said opposite plate endhaving spaced extensions upwardly raised trom said plate surface, theadjacent sides of said extensions being centrally of the plate with theopening between the same forming a slot angled laterally of said end inone direction at the top of the extensions and in a reverse direction inthe lower section thereof, said ring element being provided with a tipextension slidably engageable in said angled slot with said tipextending beyond said plate extensions at the bottom of the slotforfinger manipulation of the tip to disengage said ring member, said slotat the intersection of the reversely directed portions thereof receivingsaid tip end of the ring element in laterally stressed condition of theelement with said element at said intermediate location being biased inthe direction of said slotted portions.

References titted in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTSl,44l,873 Moore Jan. 9, 1923 1,729,563 Bohrer Sept. 24, 1929 2,22l,63lBunnell Nov. 12, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 790,027 France 1935 975,626 France1950

